


Visible Uncertainty

by panchostokes (badwolfrun)



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: Angst, Episode Tag, Episode: s04e07 Invisible Evidence, Gen, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:28:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26396416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwolfrun/pseuds/panchostokes
Summary: Warrick reflects on one of his biggest self-proclaimed failures while he reconciles with Nick over an argument.
Relationships: Warrick Brown & Nick Stokes
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Visible Uncertainty

**Author's Note:**

> watched invisible evidence last night and decided there needed to be a follow up for warrick and nick after their little argument.

Even though the pressure is off, he still looks above, watching the ticking clock. Still feels every second, every minute that passes by pulling him by the tether of his heavy heart. His drooping eyes. His gurgling stomach. The dry cave of his mouth. A reminder that time is short, shorter than he fully comprehends but understanding enough to know that every second he wastes in this state somehow beyond exhaustion is a second he’s not spending bring justice and closure for the tragedy of a rape and murder of a young woman who did not deserve it. 

But then again, most victims don’t.

He takes solace that sure, they were able to find the truth through the blur of the invisible evidence, the _planted_ evidence that could have very well put the wrong man in jail and it’s the guilt that he was so damn certain that he had it all right that is currently keeping him rooted to the spot, sifting through the viable pieces of the puzzle that he _assumed_ he had all figured out, only to be reminded by the shiny pieces of metal engraved with a name and number attached to a long chain intertwined in his fingers that he knows _nothing._

Nothing but the suffocating albatross of failure.

He could have done better. Could have done so many things better. Could have asked the officer if he had the warrant to search the car, and wait until the signed document was in front of him. Could have spent less time with his eyes on the clock and more time on the problem in front of him.

If he had paid more attention that day, asked the right questions, he could have found the real killer and spared the near catastrophic rush and pressure on _everyone,_ let alone himself.

Could have treated Rita better. Could have given her more comfort. 

He tried to make it up with the dog tags but even then, his words fell short. Clinical, even. The rehearsed offering of returned belongings once the due process is done, but not a moment sooner for risk of contamination of obstruction of justice.

But that’s not a risk they would take. They just want closure.

And right now, the power of that closure is in the palm of his hand. And he’s not worthy enough to hold it. 

His neck stretches, chin lifts but his eyes do the most work as they roll up to look at the clock. Counting down the minutes until the burden of this case can be finally lifted, and he can go about his business and perhaps move on to the next one. 

“Hey, hey,” a clearing of a throat, a casual patting gesture on his back makes him swivel his head to find the source, a reflex twitching his fingers closed over the tags. “Saw you got a chance to be the right hand man of the head-honcho for a bit.”

There’s a gentle grin on Nick’s face, a teasing lightheartedness in his words, but also a tightness in his posture, the same tightness in a puffed chest, in his raised voice, in the narrowed eyebrows that had yelled at him just hours ago. 

Warrick doesn’t let up, doesn’t fall into the pseudo intimidation of his friend. He gives him the benefit of the doubt, knowing that the weight of his guilt is only rivaled by the weight of Nick’s heart, large enough to cover his entire squared-jaw head. 

“Yeah, my fifteen seconds of fame wasn’t all that, though. I can see why Grissom likes to hide now.” 

They share a chuckle. Nick draws a finger over his lips before he hunches over the back-lit table, too, staring at the dog tags with a shining in his eyes that’s as glistening as the tongue that pokes out of his lips. 

“Listen, uhm...I’m sorry that I gave you...such a hard time back in the break room,” Nick starts in a lowered voice. “I know that you give a damn, more than any of us that were brought in to help ya a-and I’ve had my fair share of courtroom drama and I know how much it can eat at you--”

“Don’t worry about it,” Warrick shrugs. “Maybe dishing out a little empathy would do me some good every now and then...let the families know that they’re not just...forgotten.” 

“That’s all they want to know, usually. Just wanna know that someone hears them. Someone’s listening. Don’t need’ta tell ‘em it’s all gonna be okay, cause that’s not a promise we can make but sometimes just...having someone hear those...frustrations...well, that’ll be enough.” 

Nick nods his head, studying as his friend continues to stare at the tags in his hand, eyes flickering every so often to the clock above. He waits, because he knows Warrick is thinking, stringing silent words together before he speaks again, not wanting to further disturb the murky waters wafting between them.

“If I was in their spot...If someone I loved was...was found like that...I think I’d want more. There would never be enough. It...it was bad enough watching the clock tick down on our side of things, I couldn’t imagine what it’d be like for _them,_ you know?” 

“Guess you’ll just have to give it to them more then, huh?”

Warrick finally meets Nick’s eyes, matching the visible uncertainty on the Texan’s face on whether they’re really doing the right thing, that no matter how they try, Warrick’s right--it would never be enough.

But at least they have each other to fall back on, even in their darkest moments, their most troubling times. That they can have a screaming match one moment and hurt each other in stressed circumstances of verbal warfare, and then find healing in the solace of weary silence at the end of the hysteria.

And _that,_ Warrick reconciles, is enough.


End file.
